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BC court orders church to reinstate expelled members
by Scott Gilbreath ~ January 28th, 2009
Faith Lutheran Church, Kelowna, expelled seven members in September 2007 in a dispute over same-sex blessings and other issues. Four of them went to court alleging that church rules had been broken and that they had been treated unfairly.
A BC judge has found in favour of the expelled members and ordered their reinstatement.
The pastor of the Kelowna church, Anita Desjardins, was expected to attend the [national Lutheran] convention and some members were worried that she would vote in favour of blessing same-sex unions.
At an annual meeting in February 2007 a resolution was passed and some thought the resolution called for a vote on whether to compel the pastor to reflect the majority views of the congregation at the national convention vote.
Desjardins did not believe there was a need for a local vote, but a small group organized a petition calling for just such a vote. When the petition was presented to the church council, it touched off even more strife, with the pastor giving a service in which she allegedly referred to “troublemakers” in the church.
Trouble often results when pastors don’t clearly support biblical teaching.
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January 28th, 2009 at 12:31 PM
So, why exactly, do they wish to continue under such leadership, and in that fellowship, if the congregation hasn’t yet pressed for her removal as pastor?
And why go to a SECULAR COURT to resolve a dispute among professing Christians?
“The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” — I Cor 6:7
I must confess, I first thought it was Pro-homosexual lobbyists that were expelled. This would be within the Biblical scope of genuine Church discipline. (An oft-overlooked doctrine.)
January 28th, 2009 at 02:01 PM
See, thats what happens when you’re under the influence ahhh by being in communion with anglicans
January 28th, 2009 at 02:03 PM
Wes, Good questions. I agree that, from a biblical perspective, it appears both sides were in the wrong.
alan, I knew there was an Anglican connection.
January 28th, 2009 at 09:40 PM
[...] LEVIATHAN-WATCH: “BC court orders church to reinstate expelled members” …. [...]
February 2nd, 2009 at 05:56 PM
Most of the people who sided with the expelled left the congregation in the wake of all of this, as I suspect those reinstated will do.
As a point of interest, Pastor Desjardins is actually an Anglican priest, not a Lutheran minister at all.